The old Schernthann double chairlift from the 1970s is now being replaced by one of the world’s most modern lift facilities. As of this coming winter, winter sports enthusiasts can look forward to using the new 6-seater chairlift boasting every modern comfort: heated seats, comfortable cushioning, bright blue weatherproof domes, automatic restraints plus an automatic boarding aid for children with lifting platform! It doesn’t get more comfortable than this! Total investment into SkiWelt Hopfgarten for next season: over 6 million euros.

 

More child and family friendly – this is one of the goals associated with the construction of the new Schernthann lift. One magnificent innovation is the automatic lifting platform: smaller winter sports fans are automatically recognised by the system and the access height is automatically adjusted by means of a lifting platform, making getting onto the lift child’s play. In addition, bright blue weatherproof domes always ensure a blue sky on your ride up the mountain, whatever the weather – and a cosy warm environment, even if it is blowing a gale “outside”. A new ski trail between the Schernthann lift and the wide, open slopes of the Foisching lift, which are particularly suited to beginners, ski schools and families, will provide improved accessibility, even for less experienced skiers. 

 

More speed: Whereas previously you could quite comfortably count the trees during your mountain ascent, now you zoom uphill nearly twice as fast. In future, it will be possible to transport around 2,400 passengers every hour; up until now it has been just over 1,000. 

 

Quieter, more economical, more environmentally friendly. For the first time on the Hohe Salve, a lift with a gearless DirectDrive system is in operation. This technology not only provides advantages for the lift companies (less servicing, more reliable, less consumption, less wear and tear), but also for all winter sports fans: the DirectDrive-operated lifts developed by Leitner ropeways are quieter and run more smoothly, they are more relia-ble and thus offer an even more relaxed float up to the mountain station. The opening of the new lift is planned to be in time for the 2015 winter season.

 

Further improvements in Hopfgarten: the checkout area at the bottom lift station is being expanded, improve-ments to the snowmaking system and a new snow groomer. And finally, a special innovation: as of this winter season, there will be five free charging stations for electric cars available in the new parking garage.

 

SkiWelt invests 51 million

 

With the new 6-seater Schernthannbahn in Hopfgarten, the new 8-seater Jochbahn in Brixen im Thale, the fastest 8-seater chairlift in the world, and construction of the new Hartkaiserbahn in Ellmau, a 10-person XL gondola, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental will experience an enormous innovation boost this coming winter. With a total investment of 51 million euros aimed at even more comfort and fun on the slopes, Austria’s largest interconnected ski area is setting new benchmarks all over again. 

 

A number of quality improvements are also coming to the SkiWelt. The Keat lift in Söll, for example, is being given a comfort upgrade. The 4-seater chairlift will be equipped with weather protection hoods and heated seats, plus new snowmaking facilities guarantee even better slope conditions in Söll. Likewise, the snowmaking systems at the Westendorf and Scheffau cable cars are being expanded and improved, while two new ultramodern snow groomers also ensure perfectly smooth carpets of snow. 

 

With 90 cable cars and lifts, 280 kilometres of ski slopes to suit all abilities – almost all with modern snowmaking equip-ment (of 250 kilometres of slopes with snowmaking, 120 kilometres can be made ski-fit in just 3 days) and 77 huts – SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental is the largest interconnected ski area in Austria.